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(No Model.)

A. M. RODRIGUEZ & E. D. ROCKWELL. ELECTRIC WIRE CONTAINING HAT OR GAP BAND.

Patented Aug. 13, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED M. RODRIGUEZ, OF-BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND EDWARD I). ROCKWELL, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRlC-WlRE-CON TAINING HAT OR CAP BAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 544,419, dated August 13, 1895.

' Application filed June 10, 1895. Serial No. 552,253. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALFRED M. RODRI- GUEZ, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, and EDWARD D. RooKwELL, of

Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Electric-Wire-Containing Hat or Cap Bands; and we do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and theletters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a perspective view of a policemans hat provided with a band constructed in' accordance with our invention; Fig. 2, a detached enlarged plan view of the band with the ends of its members in position to be coupled together; Fig. 2, a detached view, in inside elevation, of the forward member of the band; Fig. 3, a similar view with the ends of the band coupled together and shown in longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a similar view of the rear member thereof; Fig.4, a sectional view of the band on the line a b of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a view in transverse section of the forward member of the band on the line 0 d of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a detached plan view of the body-wires; Fig. 7, a detached view, in front elevation, of one form of incandescent lamp employed in connection with our improved band; Fig. 8, a reverse plan view of the lamp; Fig. 9, a view showing the two coupling-buttons employed for connecting the lapped ends of the two members of the band.

Ourinvention relates to an improvement in electric-wire-oontaining bands for hats and. caps, the object being to produce a simple, convenient, and effective removable band adapted to have an incandescent light attached to it as well as body-wires for supplying a current thereto.

With these ends in view our invention consists in an electric-wire-containing hat or cap band provided with terminals for the removable attachment of an incandescent electric lamp and of body-Wires for supplying an electric current thereto.

Our invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out our invention we employ a hat-band composed of two members A and B practically corresponding in length and width, and each by preference composed of enameled leather, or otherwise constructed, so as to be waterproof, though this is not essential. Instead of making the band waterproof, the con tained wires might be so madein any approved manner. We have characterized our improved band as wire-containing on ac count of its adaptation to contain electric Wires, as will appear later on.- The forward member A is furnished midway of its length with a scalloped tab A projecting forward from its lower edge, and provided upon its upper face with two yielding contact-buttons a and a, respectively, forming the terminals of wires A and A permanently located within the ends of the band. The outer end of the Wire A terminates in a flexible sheet=nietal contact-plate A located in one end of the band and containing an elongated slot A The outer end of the wire A terminates in a flexible contact-plate A, constructed with several perforations A The length of the slot A and the number of perforations A will depend upon the range of adjustment which the completed band shall have. The contact-plate A and the oontact-plate A are located within the respective ends of the member A of the band and do not show upon the outer face thereof, the edges of the band being folded over the edges of the plates. The rear member 13 of the'band is constructed midway of its length with a scalloped tab 13', joining its lower edge and provided with two yielding contact-buttons b I), respectively, forming terminals for the inner ends of two wires 13 and B permanently located within the said member of the band, and terminating at their outer ends in permanently-located yielding sheet-metal sockets B B The respective ends of the two members of the band are adj ustably connected together by means of movable coupling-buttons C and C, which are just alike. In securing the two members of the band together, the ends of the band A are entered between the ends of the band B, as shown in Fig. 2, after which one of the buttons C is passed through one of the holes A in the contact-plate A into the socket B and the other button C through the elongated slot A in the contactplate A into the socket B, the electric circuit being completed in the one case by the socket B, the plate Agand the button 0, and in the other case by the socket E the plate A and the other button 0. It will be readily understood that by shifting the two buttons within the range afforded by the holes A and within the range of the length of the slot A the size of the completed band may be increased or decreased, as may be required, to fit any particular hat or cap.

The yielding contact-buttons a and a are designed to provide for the application to the tab A of an incandescent electric lamp D, lo-- cated within a reflector D, having a circular foot D the bottom of which contains two sockets d d in circuit with the filament (l of the lamp and adapted to receive the respective yielding buttons at and a. Under this construction the lamp may be attached to and removed from the band with perfect convenience.

The yielding buttons 1') and Z1 provide for the ready attachment and removal of the body-wires E and E, so called because they lead down from the hat or cap over the body to some source of electrical energy, whether that be a battery carried in the pocket, or a dynamo carried upon a bicycle, or What not. The upper ends of the wires E and E are separated and terminate in sockets e e, mounted in insulation from each other in a small holder E of vulcanized fiber, and adapted to be snapped over the buttons 1) and b aforesaid. By preference the wires E and E are bound together in a covering E of braid, except at their lower ends, where they separate for the attachment of contact-pins E and In the use of our improved electric-wirecontaining hat or cap band the same is applied to a hat or cap and worn in place of the ordinary band and presents much the same appearance as the same, the lamp and the body-wires being connected with and disconnected from the band at convenience. The hat or cap will otherwise be worn just the same as any ordinary hat or cap and as though it were not especially adapted to have an electric lamp and means for leading an electric current thereto applied to it.

It is apparent that in carrying out our invention some changes in the construction herein shown and described may be made. Thus, although we prefer to make the band adjustable, that is not necessary,but it may be especially adapted, when first made, to lit a hat or cap of predetermined size. Furthermore, instead of providing it with tabs for the attachment of the lamp and the body-wires, one or both of the said tabs may be dispensed with, and the terminals for the attachment of the lamp and wires be located directly in the body of the band, although we prefer to employ the tabs. When the band is designed particularly to be used upon caps it may be provided in its edges with retaining-points or equivalent devices for preventing it from slipping down and of]? the rear portion of the cap on account of the absence of a brim there to support it. Instead of making the band of enameled leather, as suggested, it may be made of cloth either treated with rubber or other waterproofing composition, or not. We would, therefore, have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact construction shown, but hold ourselves at liberty to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric wirecontaining hat or cap band, provided with terminals for the application and removal of an electric lamp, and the application and removal of wires briuging an electric current to-the band, and hence the lamp, substantially as described.

2. An electric wire-containing hat or cap band, adapted to be adjusted to hats and caps of different sizes, and provided with terminals for the application and removal of an electric light, and of wires for-bringing a current to the band and hence to the light, substantially as described.

3. An electric wire-containing hat or cap band, provided with one or more ollisetting tabs carrying exposed electric terminals, substantially as described.

4. An electric wire-containing hat or cap band, provided with two ol'l'settingtabs, each furnished with two exposed electric terminals, those of one tab providing for the removable attachment of an electric lamp, and those of the other tab providing for the removable attachment of the body-wires which supply an electric current to the lamp, substantially as described.

5. An electric wire-containing hat or cap band, composed of two members, the ends of which are adapted to be adjnstably connected together, and which are adapted for the re movable attachment of an electric lamp, and body-wires for supplying an electric current thereto, substantially as described.

6. An electric wire-containing hat or cap band, comprising two me:nbers,one of which is furnished at its ends with contact plates, and the other of which is furnished at' its ends with sockets, the said plates and sockets receiving buttons which couple the lapped ends of the band together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED M. RODRIGUEZ. EDWARD D. ROCKWELL.

Witnesses:

C. V. Mason, WILLIAM L. Haunt-tuna.

IOC 

